You’ re looking at the first XNO ® powered hybrid vehicle.
MINING ENGINES this size to run on ethanol in the tank – will be able to use up to 70 % ethanol, Cummins claims, significantly lowering the CO 2 emissions footprint by about 50 % with no adverse operational impact.
Cummins says it continues to drive mine site productivity and sustainability forward, making it clear that there is, it says,“ more to come from the industry’ s trusted internal combustion engines.”
Hybrid power option at Pilgangoora
Having successfully demonstrated the value of converting a diesel-powered light vehicle to a plug-in hybrid variant, Switch Technologies is nearing another big hybridisation step with the help of lithium mining company, PLS.
The two companies, in collaboration with a Western Australia-based heavy mechanical engineering( HME) rebuilder, aim to convert a 142-t payload diesel-powered Cat 785 Water Cart early next year, demonstrating the capability of the technology to reduce emissions and increase efficiency.
PLS Head of Operations Planning and Performance, Bradley Milne, said that converting the existing fleet could form a critical part of a bridging strategy in the company’ s roadmap to eliminate HME diesel fuel usage.
Milne, speaking in a video presented for the first time at The Electric Mine 2025,
The conversion process on the Cat 785 Water Cart at Pilgangoora will see Switch and the HME rebuilder take the existing transmission out of the truck, remove the transfer case off the front of this transmission, bolt in a modified transmission with a brand new transfer case and put that“ assembly” back in the truck. That transfer case includes an extended set of gears that allow Switch to hang two 540 kW motors off it
said:“ We searched very hard for solutions in our class, which is a 150-ton dump truck size, and there isn’ t an off-the-shelf product developed that is viable to put into our mine site.”
He said the solution Switch had modelled for the mining company showcased a 17-20 % reduction in fuel burn, plus potential increased speed on grade at the Pilgangoora lithium mine site, in Western Australia.“ That solution comes out with a financial payback of three years and a reduction in CO 2 emissions,” he added.
Mike O’ Hanlon, founder and CTO of Switch, said:“ It stacks up commercially when you look at the dollar value impact.” That
SWITCH
TO A NEW LEVEL OF BATTERY PERFORMANCE
You’ re looking at the first XNO ® powered hybrid vehicle.
Unveiled by Switch Technologies, this pioneering development gives mining operations high performance electrification with a low total cost of ownership.
XNO ®, Echion’ s uniquely robust anode material, performs in the toughest environments.
www. echiontech. com / landcruiser